Systems and methods for creating infrastructure models

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11928406-B2
Application number	US-202016919455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2020
Priority date	Jul 2, 2020
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided herein for creating and building a model of a unique infrastructure, such as a parking structure. The model may be created through the identification of various triggers by a vehicle traversing the infrastructure. The triggers may include, for example, sensors or other devices capable of sensing the vehicle within the infrastructure. The triggers may also be information received from the vehicle itself. Based on the triggers, it may be inferred that various places exist throughout the infrastructure. For example, it may be inferred through two subsequent triggers that a place exists between the two triggers. The place may be added to the model of the infrastructure in between the two triggers. The model may continue to grow in this manner.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A parking infrastructure system comprising:
a first sensor;
a second sensor;
a processor; and
a memory storing computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive location information about the first sensor and the second sensor;
receive a trigger of the first sensor by a vehicle;
receive a trigger of the second sensor by the vehicle;
determine, based on the trigger of the first sensor and the trigger of the second sensor, that a first place exists between a location of the first sensor and a location of the second sensor;
add the first place to a representation of the parking infrastructure system, the representation of the parking infrastructure system comprising a Petri Net model;
receive data representing that at least one parking spot of the infrastructure system is occupied even though the at least one parking spot is empty; and
send a digital twin of the representation to a processor of either the vehicle or another vehicle, the digital twin being a digital representation of the parking infrastructure system and showing that the at least one parking spot is occupied, even though the at least one parking spot is empty.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the trigger of the first sensor and the trigger of the second sensor comprise a determination that the vehicle is identified by the first sensor or the second sensor.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:
provide the representation of the parking infrastructure system to the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:
identify a trigger of a third sensor by the vehicle;
receive, from the vehicle, an indication that the vehicle is either ascending or descending;
identify a trigger of a fourth sensor by the vehicle; and
determine, based on the trigger of the third sensor, the trigger of the fourth sensor, and the indication that the vehicle is either ascending or descending, that the third sensor is associated with a first level of the parking infrastructure system and the fourth sensor is associated with a second level of the parking infrastructure system, the second level being either above or below the first level.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:
receive, from the vehicle, information about an action taken by the vehicle including at least one of: taking a right turn, taking a left turn, engaging a parking gear, and
engaging a non-parking gear.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:
determine, based on receiving the trigger of the first sensor, that the vehicle is located in the first place.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:
determine, based on the vehicle being located in the first place, a number of vehicles located in the first place; and
provide the number of vehicles in the first place to a at least one of: the parking infrastructure system and second vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:
receive at least one of: a trigger of a third sensor by the vehicle and information associated with the vehicle; and
send, based on receiving at least one of the trigger of a third sensor by the vehicle and information associated with the vehicle, an instruction for the vehicle to perform an action.

9. A method comprising:
receiving location information about a first sensor and a second sensor;
receiving a trigger of the first sensor by a vehicle;
receiving a trigger of the second sensor by the vehicle;
determining, based on the trigger of the first sensor and the trigger of the second sensor, that a first place exists between a location of the first sensor and a location of the second sensor;
adding the first place to a representation of a parking infrastructure system, the representation of the parking infrastructure system comprising a Petri Net model;
receiving data representing that at least one parking spot of the infrastructure system is occupied even though the at least one parking spot is empty; and
sending a digital twin of the representation to a processor of either the vehicle or another vehicle, the digital twin being a digital representation of the parking infrastructure system and showing that the at least one parking spot is occupied, even though the at least one parking spot is empty.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the trigger of the first sensor and the trigger of the second sensor comprise a determination that the vehicle is identified by the first sensor or the second sensor.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
providing the representation of the parking infrastructure system to the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
identifying a trigger of a third sensor by the vehicle;
receiving, from the vehicle, an indication that the vehicle is either ascending or descending;
identifying a trigger of a fourth sensor by the vehicle; and
determining, based on the trigger of the third sensor, the trigger of the fourth sensor, and the indication that the vehicle is either ascending or descending, that the third sensor is associated with a first level of the parking infrastructure system and the fourth sensor is associated with a second level of the parking infrastructure system, the second level being either above or below the first level.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving, from the vehicle, information about an action taken from the vehicle including at least one of: taking a right turn, taking a left turn, engaging a parking gear, and
engaging a non-parking gear.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining, based on receiving the trigger of the first sensor, that the vehicle is located in the first place.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining, based on the determination that the vehicle is located in the first place, a number of vehicles located in the first place; and
providing the number of vehicles in the first place to a at least one of: the parking infrastructure system and second vehicle.

16. The method of claim 9 , further comprising receiving at least one of: a trigger of a third sensor by the vehicle and information associated with the vehicle; and
sending, based on receiving at least one of the trigger of a third sensor by the vehicle and information associated with the vehicle, an instruction for the vehicle to perform an action.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions of the memory, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to receive other data corresponding to at least one other vehicle entering or leaving or leaving the parking infrastructure system, and update the digital twin in real-time based on the other data.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the Petri Net model comprises a parking structure having a plurality of levels, an entrance, and an exit.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Makke Omar
• Gusikhin Oleg
• Gliesman Andrew
• Madani Bardia
• Fakhraee Sina
• Kramer David
• Hunsaker Melinda Kaye

Classifications

• G06F30/22 Primary

  using Petri net models · CPC title

• G06F30/13

  Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads · CPC title

• G07C5/008

  communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C) · CPC title

• G08G1/017

  identifying vehicles (G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence) · CPC title

• G08G1/04

  using optical or ultrasonic detectors · CPC title